Brookland, November 14th, 1753. A Town meeting called by warrant of Carel Debevois, Esq. and Jacobus Debevois, Esq. two of his Majesty’s Justices for the township of Brookland, in the County of Kings, to elect and chuse Trustees to defend our Patent of Brookland against the Commonalty of the City of New-York.—And the Trustees so elected and chosen by the freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Brookland aforesaid, are as follows: Jacobus Lefferts, Peter Vandervoort, Jacob Remsen, Rem Remsen, and Nicholas Vechte. And we the hereunder subscribers being freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Brookland, by these presents do fully impower and authorize the abovesaid Trustees, Jacobus Lefferts, Peter Vandevoort, Jacob Remsen, Rem Remsen, and Nicholas Vechte, elected and chosen by the freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Brookland aforesaid, to defend our patent where in any manner our liberties, privileges and rights in our patent specified is incroached, lessened or taken away by the Commonalty of the City of New-York. And that we hereunder subscribers of the township of Brookland, oblige ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators to pay to the abovesaid Trustees, all cost that they are at in protecting of the profits of our patent, and that money shall be collected in by the constable of our town. And that the abovesaid Trustees do oblige themselves to render upon oath a true account of all such moneys they have expended in protecting or defending our patent, to any person or persons, as the hereunder subscribers shall appoint for that purpose. And in defending our patent so that verdict shall come in our favour, where income of money or other profits should arise concerning the premises, all such profits or income should be kept towards defraying of all the necessary cost and charge of our township of Brookland, till such time as it is altered by the majority. And that the Trustees should have three shillings per day for their service and no more.
C.
The Petition of Volkert Brier.
To his Excellency.—The humble peticon of Volkert Brier, inhabitant of the towne of Broockland, on the Island of Nassau.
May it please your Excellency your peticoner being fined five pounds last Court of Sessions, in Kings County for tearing an execucon directed to him as Constable. Your peticoner being ignorant of the crime, and not thinking it was of force when he was out of his office, or that he should have made returne of it as the lawe directs, he being an illiterate man could not read said execucon nor understand any thing of lawe: humbly prays yr Excellency yt you would be pleased to remit said fine of five pounds, yr peticoner being a poore man and not capaciated to pay said fine without great damage to himself and family. And for yr Excellecy yr peticoner will ever pray, &c.
D.
A Letter from Justice Ffilkin to the Secretary at New-York.
Sir,—I am in expectation of a complaint coming to his Excellency by Coll. Beeckman against me, and that his Excellency may be rightly informed of the matter, my humble request to you is, that if such a thing happen, be pleased to give his Excellency an account thereof, which is as follows: A Ffriday night last, the Justices of the County and I came from his Excellency’s; Coll. Beeckman happened to come over in the fferry boat along with us, and as we came over the fferry, Coll. Beeckman and we went into the fferry house to drink a glass of wine, and being soe in company, there happened a dispute between Coll. Beeckman and myself, about his particular order that he lately made to Mr. Ffreeman, when he was President of the Councill, without the consent of the Councill; Coll. Beeckman stood to affirm there, before most of the Justices of Kings County, that said order, that he made then to Mr. Ffreeman as President only, was still in fforce, and that Mr. Ffreeman should preach at Broockland next Sunday according to that order; whereupon I said it was not in fforce, but void and of noe effect, and he had not in this County, any more power now than I have, being equall in commission with him in the general commission of the peace and one of the quorum as well as he; upon which he gave me affronting words, giving me the lie and calling me pittifull fellow, dog, rogue, rascall, &c. which caused me, being overcome with passion, to tell him that I had a good mind to knock him off his horse, we being both at that time getting upon our horses to goe home, but that I would not goe, I would fight him at any time with a sword. I could wish that these last words had bin kept in, and I am troubled that I was soe overcome with passion and inflamed with wine. The works of these Dutch ministers is the occasion of all our quarrells.[29] And this is the truth of the matter, there was no blows offerred, nor noe more done. Mr. Ffreeman has preached at Broockland yesterday accordingly, and the church doore was broke open, by whom it is not yet knowne. Soe I beg your pardon ffor this trouble, crave your favour in this matter, and shall alwayes remaine.
Sir, your ffaithful and humble servant,
H. FFILKIN.